


Memories

by AstralKnight



Category: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Rebuild of Evangelion | Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Rebuild 3.0 Spoilers, Self-Hatred, Suicidal Thoughts, because it wouldnt be an in-character serious nge story without it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-17
Updated: 2016-12-17
Packaged: 2018-09-09 08:12:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8883454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AstralKnight/pseuds/AstralKnight
Summary: A few years after the Third Impact, an unexpected encounter causes buried feelings to surface once more.





	

**Author's Note:**

> First of all, this fic deals with pretty heavy stuff. So, if that isn't your thing or you aren't in a mental state to deal with that, I suggest you find something else to read. That said, it isn't anything heavier than what's already been explored in NGE. 
> 
> This is essentially a character study of both Asuka and Mari. Note that Mari's thought processes are my personal interpretation of what little information we have of her and her past and since I'm a firm believer that Mari is much more than what she appears to be, this is the result. Now that the warnings are out of the way, let's do this.

Their mission was over. The enemy Eva had retreated and they had retrieved what Misato had asked them to. It was probably something to upgrade Wunder. For all intents and purposes, this was a success. And yet, a tense silence hung over the two pilots.

“Let’s go back,” Asuka finally uttered, gripping the handles tightly.

“As you wish, princess,” Mari answered with what she hoped was levity. It fell flat, even to her ears. Asuka didn’t react in the slightest, which said something about her state of mind.

The trip back was devoid of the usual banter, both processing the events that had transpired earlier. Mari didn’t even have the heart to pretend everything was alright, as skilled as she was in that department. It wouldn’t have been any good for Asuka regardless.

Asuka’s shock soon morphed into anger and her pace gradually got faster, until she was running at full speed towards their base of operations. Mari followed suit, at least to keep an eye on her in case of a surprise attack. She’d learned from experience that Asuka had a tendency to be reckless when angered so she had taken the habit of watching her back when this happened.

When they got close enough to Wunder, Mari decided it would be wise to speak up. “Slow down, princess. You don’t want to sink the ship you got that upgrade for, do you?” She half-joked. The way she was going now, she would make some big waves. The ships could take it, but she didn’t want little Sakura to hit her head during the intense rocking.

Asuka grunted in annoyance but complied, returning to a more reasonable pace. Mari, now satisfied, stretched and plastered her trademark grin back on her face. The next few minutes ought to be interesting.

Once docked, Asuka didn’t waste any time in getting out of her EVA. She spared a glance in Mari’s direction, leaning in the doorway of her own docking station. She strode angrily through the halls of the ship, determined to get some answers. Even though it was a maze for any newcomer, she knew the unfortunate few who did not clear the way in time would receive a strong shove. At last, she stood in front of Misato’s office and entered without any warning.

Misato was sitting at her desk, discussing a report with Ritsuko. They stopped and watched Asuka close the gap. She barely left any space between the desk and her while she glared at Misato. Being this close allowed her to ignore the framed picture featuring her, Rei and Shinji sitting on Misato’s desk, a reminder of happier days. Misato had a less carefree attitude now that she was the leader of Wille, but she was no less sentimental.

Misato was used to an angry Asuka, even if the occurrence had decreased since the start of Wille, but a _furious_ Asuka was another matter entirely. Misato waited for the storm to unfold but nothing came. That was usually not a good sign at all.

“What is it, Asuka?”

Asuka gritted her teeth and said the one word Misato had dreaded. Asuka's voice was full of conflicting emotions.

“Rei.”

Misato and Ritsuko glanced at each other. Misato knew this day would come eventually, but it did not make anything easier. She had considered telling her before something like this happened, except she hadn’t known how to go about it. It was hard enough for her when Ritsuko told her. How did you just come up to someone and tell them that their friend was a clone? But Misato knew it had simply been an excuse to absolve herself of the responsibility. It was too late now.

“You knew,” Asuka said lowly, almost a whisper.

It took all of Misato’s composure not to flinch at the sensation of pure betrayal emanating from Asuka. Ritsuko looked ready to step in but Misato would not have it. She had to do this herself.

“Believe me, I wanted to tell you sooner but-” Misato shook her head and stopped herself before she went down the road of excuses. Asuka deserved better. “No. I’m sorry, Asuka. I should have told you. I’m prepared to face the consequences of that. In the meantime, I’ll answer any question you have for me.”

Asuka was taken aback by the sincerity of the apology but it did not abate her anger. “How is she still…here?”

Misato knew Asuka had figured out the gist of it, and was only looking for confirmation. Misato sighed. “There are…duplicates.”

Asuka was not going to like this. “Duplicates?”

“Clones. Each time one of them dies, another takes her place.”

Asuka clenched her fists. This only confirmed what she had feared. The Rei they met had not been the Rei she knew before the Third Impact. “How many are there? Was there an original Rei?”

Misato and Ritsuko looked at each other uncertainly. “We’re…not sure how many of them there are in reserve. The only estimate we have at the moment is ‘a lot’. As for the original…” Misato sighed again. “Yui Ikari.”

Asuka stared in a mixture of shock and disbelief. “Ikari? As in, Shinji Ikari?”

“Yes. His mother.”

“What the hell is wrong with that bearded piece of shit?” Asuka growled.

Misato allowed herself a fleeting smirk and even Ritsuko looked slightly amused. “Anything else you wanted to know?”

Asuka grunted. “I think that’s enough for now.” Her mind was still reeling.

Misato nodded. “Come back anytime if you have more questions.”

Surprise flashed across Asuka’s eyes before anger settled back in. “I will,” she said, glaring for good measure. She strode back to the entrance but stopped herself just as she touched the handle. She warred with herself for a few seconds, annoyance settling in amidst the swirls of anger. She was annoyed that she couldn’t say what she wanted to say without effort and at the same time, annoyed at the fact that she hadn’t walked out of that room right away. She didn’t owe Misato anything, after all. She didn’t…

With a sigh and a click of the tongue, she made her choice. “Thanks,” she said quietly, leaving before Misato had a chance to answer. Part of her hoped Misato hadn’t heard it but she knew that wasn’t the case. She had been in this room enough times to know what volume of voice would carry over and she had definitely reached that threshold.

Misato’s eyes widened and she smiled slightly after Asuka’s exit, with a twinge of melancholy. She hadn’t expected Asuka to say something like that, especially after her own blunder. All in all, it had gone better than she had predicted but she still felt very tired. She rested her head on her hands and sighed.

Ritsuko circled around the desk and stood behind the office chair. She put her hand on Misato’s shoulder gently. “You did what you could.”

“Did I…? Seems like I’m always cleaning up after my mistakes.”

“Misato…”

“I know.” Misato rested her hand on Ritsuko’s. “Thanks, Rits.”

Ritsuko hummed. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.”

Misato gave a short laugh. “I guess I haven’t.”

Ritsuko gave her companion a worried glance. “I can give my report at another time, if you want.”

Misato unconsciously started to stroke Ritsuko’s hand with her thumb. “No, it’s fine.” Then, more softly, “I’ll be fine.”

“If you ever–”

“I can go see my own personal doctor, right? I know the drill,” she answered with a small grin and a teasing glance in Ritsuko’s direction.

Ritsuko chuckled. “The old Misato _is_ still there somewhere.”

“Makes you nostalgic, doesn’t it?” They looked at each other and smiled briefly. Misato leaned back on her seat and stared at the ceiling, contemplating. They spent the next seconds in complete silence. “I hope she’ll forgive me someday,” Misato finally said.

Ritsuko glanced at Misato warmly. She was as soft-hearted as ever. “I’m sure she will.”

Misato would have doubted that statement a few years ago but she had seen first-hand the changes and growth in Asuka, so now she wasn’t so skeptical. It made her proud, in a way. But this was a big shock, and a severe breach of trust from Asuka’s point of view. “I hope you’re right.”

~

Asuka walked purposefully through the halls of the ship, thoughts flying in all directions. She really needed to blow off some steam, and she knew just the place. First, she would have to get a change of clothes, the plug suit feeling tighter than usual. She stopped by her room and threw on the first shirt and pair of jogging pants she could find. She grabbed her jacket to cover herself after she’d worked up a sweat.

Thankfully, her next destination was very close to her room. She entered her personal training room and headed straight for the punching bag. Even though it was technically her own training room, Mari had a tendency to waltz in whenever she liked. It had bothered Asuka to no end at the beginning, but she only put up a front of annoyance now. She got lonelier than she’d like at times.

Shaking these thoughts from her head, she concentrated on the item in front of her. She had been intent on starting her session as soon as she entered the room but… She knew the benefits of a good warm-up. She stretched and worked her articulations, albeit very minimally, before she threw a good punch at the bag. It rocked back and forth slightly from the force of the blow, eliciting a grim smile from Asuka.

As she continued working out her anger, she couldn’t help but think about the events that had transpired earlier. It made her blood boil again. That was why she hated adults. All these lies and pretenses and responsibilities. And she’d been so eager to become one. She snarled, hitting the bag even harder.

The worst of it was that she understood now. She didn’t even know if she wouldn’t have done the same thing in their shoes. And that scared her. Mari often told her to relativize, change perspectives. Damn her. She hit the bag again. She was almost an adult now too, technically. Trapped in the body of a 14 year-old until the end of her days, thanks to the Curse of Eva. Damn it.

She breathed, trying to calm herself. Until a single word came unbidden into her mind. Rei. She punched with renewed vigor. The swirl of emotions she’d felt when she heard her voice… She had _hoped._ She had hoped for a split second that maybe, maybe Shinji had managed to save her after all. Maybe one single good thing had come out of the hell he unleashed all these years ago. Maybe he hadn’t destroyed everything for _nothing_.

She had called out her name then. Rei. A question. With a tinge of hope and a stunned smile. There had been no answer at first. Everything was still. Then, slowly, the voice had confirmed her identity as Rei and… she had asked Asuka if she knew her. Asuka’s blood had chilled right then. She didn’t know how she was so _certain_ that she was not the same Rei; that she had not simply forgotten after the trauma of being revived.

Maybe she had already put together pieces of the puzzle in her time at NERV. Maybe what hurt her the most was the fact that Rei had forgotten her. Maybe both. And now that she had gotten the information from Misato… There was no doubt about it. This was not the Rei she had known. Shinji had not achieved anything in his tantrum. She snorted, eyes moistening. Figures. Damn him.

Her punch was weak this time. She merely held the punching bag, her head against its cold surface as the flood of emotions came over her. Why did Rei have to die? Why did she have to die, right after they had finally started a tentative friendship? Right after Asuka had warmed up to her? Right after she had seen Rei smile, genuinely smile, for the first time? How many Reis had she met? How many had been replaced and she hadn’t even noticed? Because she hadn’t even tried to get to know her? How many more? How many more would it take? How many more before they finally stopped the sad excuse for a human that was Gendo Ikari?

Tears slid down her cheeks and she gripped the bag tightly. She was… really gone. How cruel was her life to give her a glimmer of hope only to crush it in the span of a few seconds? How foolish she had been to hope in the first place. Damn it.

No Rei could ever replace this Rei. She choked on a bitter laugh, a bad taste in her mouth as she remembered all the times Rei had considered herself replaceable. If only Asuka had swallowed her pride earlier, maybe they could have made more memories. There was nothing she could do about it now. Damn it all to hell.

She squared her jaw, fire returning to her eyes. She couldn’t help past Rei now, but damned if she wasn’t going to knock some sense into present Rei if it was the last thing she did. She didn’t consider the possibility of future Reis. Not yet. She was still too raw. She just had to make sure this Rei never died.

She grunted. All the fight had gone out of her and all she felt was a dull ache in her knuckles. She grimaced. She felt the cold sweat stick to her skin unpleasantly. She wiped her tears hastily with her forearm and reached for the towel to finish the job. She grabbed her jacket just as the door slid open. Only one person would be brazen enough to waltz in at a time like this.

Mari stood in the doorway, watching Asuka put her jacket on. She narrowed her eyes. Asuka’s knuckles were scraped pretty badly.

“Ahh, that won’t do, princess,” she said in a theatrical fashion.

Asuka tsked in annoyance, almost as if she hadn’t wanted Mari to speak. _She should really know better_ , Mari thought in amusement as she reached for the first aid kit on the wall. Asuka spun on her heel to get a good look at her fellow pilot. If Mari had taken note of her red and puffy eyes, she didn’t show it.

“What do you want, Kone-megane?” Asuka finally asked.

Mari wondered if Asuka thought she was holding the first aid kit for show. At least Asuka was using nicknames. A good sign. “You’re bleeding.”

Asuka looked confused for a split second before she looked at her hands. “I don’t care.”

“I do.”

Asuka sighed. She might have blushed in different circumstances, but she was too exhausted. “There you go again, saying embarrassing things with a straight face.”

Mari merely grinned and gestured to the bench closest to Asuka. After a second of contemplation, Asuka gave in. It’s not like she had anything better to do. Asuka tried to look annoyed as she sat down, but judging by Mari’s expression, she wasn’t sure if she was successful.

Mari knelt in front of her and took one of her hands gently. “You know you should cover your hands when you do this,” Mari said as she dabbed a piece of cotton in alcohol.

Mari was trying to make idle conversation and Asuka knew it. “Didn’t feel like it.”

Mari hummed. “This is going to hurt.”

“I wasn’t born yesterday, Kone–” She hissed as the alcohol made contact with her wound. She glared at Mari. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Me? I would never,” Mari replied innocently. She applied the cotton to another part of Asuka’s hand as slowly as possible, as if to disprove her own words.

“ _You_ –” Asuka was interrupted by another hiss. She decided to stop talking in favor of observing Mari’s actions. She ended up staring at Mari’s face pensively.

Mari was far from unaware of Asuka’s gaze. She reached for the bandages and started wrapping them around Asuka’s hand. She put a pin to hold it together and decided the stare had lasted long enough for her to talk. “Finally realized how drop-dead gorgeous I am, princess?” she asked teasingly, glancing up for a split second.

Asuka scoffed. “Keep dreaming, Kone-megane.”

“That’s what I do best, princess,” Mari answered lightly. 

Asuka grunted. She relented in her staring. She had gotten the information she needed anyway. First, a too-bright grin upon their return. Second, a subtle change in her usual happy-go-lucky demeanor. And now… She was avoiding her gaze. Normally, Mari would have at least looked up enough to witness the handiwork of an embarrassing remark on Asuka’s complexion.

Those were changes that no one would really notice, but Asuka had been partnered up with Mari enough to tell. Asuka had to hand it to her, she was damn good at pretending everything was fine.

Mari finished bandaging Asuka’s hands and decided she should probably leave after. She knew Asuka hated being vulnerable in front of other people. Or was she just running away in fear of what this could bring up? Asuka was more perceptive than people gave her credit for and she had probably noticed something. Probably the latter, she thought grimly as she got up. They had been vulnerable around each other before after all.

Mari turned around and was about to walk towards the first aid box when she felt one of her fingers being grabbed weakly. She froze. Nothing could have prepared her for Asuka’s next words. “Please. Stay,” Asuka whispered.

Mari swallowed thickly. She couldn’t exactly say what happened to her in that moment, but the way Asuka had said those two words shook her to her core. A moment that seemed like eternity passed, both frozen in time, head bowed.

Finally, Mari turned around with her trademark grin. “I was just putting this back in its rightful place.” She could still exit if she wished, but she didn’t even consider it. She couldn’t just leave Asuka in this state. And maybe it was time she stopped running. She took a steadying breath and closed the first aid closet before making her way back to Asuka.

She sat on the bench to Asuka’s left, far enough that she wouldn’t be in her personal space, but close enough that she could touch her. Neither of them said a word, their memories weighing heavily in their minds.

Several moments passed. Mari figured she should say something since she was supposed to be the one doing the comforting. Truthfully, they were both awkward in that department; Mari just hid it better. Then again, their situation was so fucked up it would have been a wonder if anyone knew what to say.

“What was she like?” Mari finally asked quietly. She knew it was risky, as Asuka had never opened up about it and no one broached the subject. Misato and Ritsuko were also tight-lipped, a tacit agreement between the three of them. But Asuka had just been brought back to that time in the most brutal way possible. So, if Asuka could focus on happier memories, maybe…

Without hesitation, Asuka answered, “Weird.” The underlying affection was easily noticeable. Mari grinned despite herself. Typical Asuka.

Several moments passed. Mari was about to tell her that she didn’t have to share if she didn’t want to but Asuka beat her to the punch. She talked about her initial feelings of annoyance towards Rei, the way their relationship developed, how Shinji was ever the fool, interspersed with pauses to steady herself.

Mari listened intently, giving her the time she needed. And as Rei came to life in her mind, she had to face the terrible realization she had kept at the edge of her mind. She couldn’t run away anymore. She had never considered Rei as her own person. The brief moments she had interacted with her… She had merely been a reminder of Yui, down to her self-sacrificial tendencies.

She felt sick to her stomach. All this time and she had been no better than Gendo, projecting Yui onto Rei. She remembered how she scoffed at Gendo’s obsession when she learned of the clones. In her arrogance, she hadn’t considered that if she had had the power… Maybe that would have been her. And Asuka wouldn’t have been there to stop her from making that mistake.

Here she was, next to a person who obviously cared so much about Rei, who grieved her and she was realizing how selfish she had been. Frustrated tears burned her eyelids. Asuka would be as disgusted as Mari by the thoughts running through her mind, and rightfully angry. Mari could personally attest that Asuka was very protective of her friends.

She took quiet, steadying breaths, glad that they weren’t facing each other. Asuka would surely notice and ask about it, and Mari wouldn’t have the heart to keep quiet if she did. The last thing she wanted to do was to add to her pain.

Rei had deserved so much better. She had saved Mari, and her last thoughts hadn’t even been about Rei. She had avoided thinking about that time as much as Asuka, albeit for different reasons. In the end, the past had caught up to the both of them, as it always did. The only difference was that they had changed since then. Now, Mari was genuinely terrified to think back on what kind of person she had been.

On top of that, there was no way for her to redeem herself towards the Rei who had died. But she had a second chance in the other Rei and she’d make sure to honor the first Rei’s memory. Maybe then she could forgive herself, maybe even joke about it. She hoped Asuka would forgive her once she had the nerve to tell her.

Silence had filled the room for a while now and Mari decided that it was only fair to share Rei’s last moments to Asuka, as Mari was the closest to her when it happened. _And the farthest in my mind_ , Mari thought wryly. Besides, she sorely needed the distraction.

“I was there when it happened. The Third Impact,” she said, trying not to show her emotional turmoil.  

Asuka knew this, of course. She had inquired about the person who had dared touch _her_ Eva. Misato had also told her what she had seen, but a lot had happened at the same time and she doubted Misato had seen everything. Mari had never really talked about it, so now she was curious.

“We were fighting Zeruel. We were working together to get its AT field open enough so Rei could hurt it with the bomb.” Mari swallowed thickly. “She…pushed me away at the last moment. Called me ‘pilot of Eva-02’. Somehow she knew it wasn’t you in there. She sacrificed herself…so I could live. One last desperate attempt to prevent Zeruel from reaching the ones she cared about.” Mari’s stomach felt like lead. Rei had been thinking about so much more than herself and Mari had _dismissed_ her being itself in her selfishness.

Asuka, who had been listening silently until now, smiled darkly. “That sounds like her,” she whispered, not trusting her voice to go higher. She didn’t know if she should curse Rei for valuing other’s lives so highly before her own, or thank her for saving one of the most important people in her life right now. Tears threatened to spill again.

“I wish I could have met her under different circumstances,” Mari whispered.

Asuka frowned. She sensed something in Mari’s voice, some kind of hidden meaning. Normally she would have waved it off, but this coupled with Mari’s unusual behavior since they came back from the mission… She wouldn’t let it go that easily.

Asuka carefully selected her question, unsure of where she should probe. All she knew is that it probably had a relation to Rei. And yet Mari didn’t seem to have known any of them… right?

“Did you know about the clones?” Asuka asked.

Mari licked her lips. This was going into dangerous territory. She couldn’t just brush it off or evade like she usually did when people were edging on something too close for comfort, especially not Asuka. Her only options were to lie, and she couldn’t betray Asuka’s trust like that, or to tell a partially edited version of the truth. There was no question that she shouldn’t talk about all of it. She didn’t think either of them was emotionally ready for the full version, especially not now.

“Why do you ask?” Even though she had decided on her course of action, she had automatically fallen back to her habit of diverting the conversation away from the subject.

“You’ve been acting strangely and there’s… _something_ in your voice when we talk about Rei.”

“Aw, you picked up on all of that? So you do care!” One part of her was glad that Asuka had picked up on it despite her emotional state, and the other was positively _scared_. She thought she had hid it, as to not worry Asuka further. When did she get so easy to read?

Asuka narrowed her eyes. “Don’t change the subject.”

 _Well, it was worth a try_ , Mari thought. She’d have to go slowly to piece the story without revealing too much. “I didn’t exactly know about the clones. I did know about the original, though.”

“Yui Ikari?”

So Misato had told her that much. That complicated things slightly. “Yes. She was… my role model of sorts. I admired her work. I’d seen pictures of her and I looked up information on NERV before coming to Tokyo-3. When I saw Rei… Well, let’s say the resemblance in facial features is uncanny.”

“She reminded you of someone important to you. Someone you lost.” Asuka nodded. That would have been a shock indeed.

“Yes. I hadn’t… exactly planned on running into her. When she came to help me… I knew who was inside Eva-00. And then everything happened at once.”

Asuka hummed. Mari knew that Asuka suspected there was a lot more to this, but Asuka also knew there were some personal stories that were hard to share. For now, she’d be satisfied with that and Mari could fill out the rest when she was ready. Mari had extended the same courtesy to her before, after all.

Mari stretched and sighed. “Look at us two clinging to our memories like sailors lost at sea.”

Asuka snorted. “Well, I plan to swim to the shore so you better keep up.”

“Ohh, you followed up on my metaphor. Not bad, princess~”

“Shut up, Kone-megane,” Asuka answered, punching Mari’s arm lightly. Asuka stood up, stretched and rubbed her eyes. She added, “And since this is a competition, you’d better not expect my help.”

 _You already have. More than you know_ , Mari thought. “What happened to the team spirit? We work better together, you know~”

Asuka glanced back at her. She was well aware of that, but she wasn’t about to give Mari the satisfaction of hearing it. “I’ll consider it.”

Mari grinned, enjoying the return to light-hearted banter. Yui’s ghost was slowly but surely fading away from her heart and mind, replaced by something new and better. Sakura, Asuka, the Wille crew… Even Rei, now. She supposed her growing feelings for a certain hot-headed pilot played no small part either. Whatever happened with Asuka, she knew they stood on equal ground. Yui’s pedestal had long since crumbled.

Asuka picked up her stuff and started walking towards the door. “I think we’re overdue to visit Sakura.”

“Couldn’t have said it better myself, princess.” A beat. “You should shower first though,” she teased.

Asuka paused and groaned. She had almost forgotten about her earlier workout. “I hate it when you’re right.”

That one was too easy. “Is that why you’re angry all the time?” Mari asked innocently.

The edge of Asuka’s mouth twitched upwards. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Kone-megane.”

Asuka suddenly stopped right before opening the door. “Hey, Mari?” she began softly, a hint of hesitation in her voice. Mari’s heart caught in her throat. There were a few seconds of silence before Asuka continued, “Thanks for talking with me.”

If anyone thought Mari was never taken off-guard by Asuka, they’d be extremely wrong. Mari closed her eyes and smiled. “Thanks for trusting me, Asuka.”

Asuka opened the door then, and it was as if nothing unusual had happened in that room. The bandages on Asuka’s hands were not a rare sight and Asuka looked as imperious as ever next to the ever playful Mari.

They knew that if memories came back to drag them down, they’d at least have each other to work through them. Besides, they also had a wide support net for the first time in their lives. The bonds that had formed and the acceptance within their tight-knit group gave them a new experience of belonging. One they would all defend until their last breath. 

The members of their newfound family weren’t perfect, but then again neither were they. But despite everything, they all tried to do better and at the end of the day, they respected and accepted each other. That was all Mari and Asuka had ever needed. And that was why Asuka was going to make a trip to Misato’s office as soon as she was ready.

**Author's Note:**

> This whole fic operates on the assumption that Gendo didn't use another Rei clone right after the Third Impact because that would be too suspicious and I realize this is pure speculation and might not even work in canon but hey, as long as I have the benefit of the doubt, it can work. Even if that was the case, Asuka was still in a coma, so the chances of her seeing Rei before the separation of WILLE from NERV is suitably low. 
> 
> This was honestly just an excuse to expand upon this trio's relationship because I love it so much. Asuka and Rei have been here since the original and since they definitely got closer in Rebuild 2.0 compared to what we'd seen in the entirety of the series, there's a lot more to say. 
> 
> While it's fundamentally different, Mari also has a link to Rei through Yui and she does make a reference to it in Rebuild 3.0 with her "the original was much friendlier" line. At first, I thought she was referring to the original clone but after I learned about Mari's past with Yui, it takes an entirely different meaning. In any case, I wanted to highlight the start of a change in mindset for Mari wrt Rei. If that hadn't happened, I'm not sure Mari would have been able to say something like that so casually in 3.0 without Asuka getting angry at her because (imo) Asuka is very protective of the ones she cares about. 
> 
> And, of course, I hope I was able to convey the depth I see in Asuka and Mari's relationship because despite apparent differences, they're pretty similar, especially in their coping methods. Ultimately, they're probably the ones who can understand each other the best.


End file.
